Viking weddings popular

Ever since Iceland legalized same-sex marriage in 2010 the country has been a popular destination for gay weddings and now it seems more and more travellers are opting to get married here in the Old Norse way. Humanist weddings have become equally popular.

“There has been a massive increase in demand for same-sex wedding ceremonies in the last year, an explosion really,” says Hilmar Örn Hilmarsson, Pagan high chieftain of The Old Nordic Pagan Association, Ásatrúarfélagið, in Iceland. A big part of which he says are foreign citizens looking for an alternative wedding. “The pagan believe is very inclusive and we are open to all opinions,” he points out. “So we welcome all, gay or straight, Icelandic or foreign.”

Hilmar Örn, the fourth Pagan high chieftain of Ásatrúarfélagið, The Old Nordic Pagan Association, which was instrumental in bringing about marriage equality in Iceland in 2010. Considering how gay friendly Iceland had already become at the time, marriage equality was long overdue. Photo/HaukurTh.

Svanur Sigurbjörnsson, celebrant of Siðmennt – the Icelandic Ethical Humanist Association, reports a similar trend. “I would estimate that we married 20 same-sex couples last year,” he says and adds: “Since we got the legal rights to marry in May 2013 our celebrants have performed 108 weddings, over all, and last year we had 55 percent increase from the year before.”

You could say the increase is fitting seeing that both of these associations, alongside the National Queer organization (Samtökin ’78), were instrumental in bringing about the legislation of same-sex marriage in Iceland. It was perhaps a little predictable that an ethical humanist association would pair up with the gay rights movement in the fight, but many were surprised when an Old Nordic Pagan Association starting grabbing the headlines in their outspoken support for free marriage. Yes, old school Icelandic vikings showed they were indeed ready to raid those out-dated ideas, and raise their sword and voice to speak out for love. In fact their involvement was crucial in the fight.

“At the time I was asked by a young member of the pagan community why we didn’t wed gay couples? I had no idea why,” recalls Hilmar Örn. “So we got a couple of congress women to support us and eventually, in 2003, we got a legal opinion from the justice department stating there was absolutely no reason not to allow same-sex marriage.”

However the state church was not as rational about the whole matter, he says. Yet, after public declarations of support from many priests and public pressure the church caved in and love triumphed. That only took about seven years.

“There has been a massive increase in demand for same-sex wedding ceremonies in the last year, an explosion really.”

Once same-sex marriage had been legalized the question arose who should be allowed to perform the wedding ceremonies. Up to 2013 same-sex couples had the traditional choice of getting married in the somewhat less than romantic manner at the civic “Sýslumaður” office, or in a church. But at the time many priests refused to service gay couples.

Re-enter Ásatrúarfélagið and Siðmennt. Both associations wanted to offer alternative weddings. In fact they had been doing so for years. The problem was that they had no legal stand, only a ceremonious one. So the ceremony had to be completed by a trip to the civic office (i. Sýslumaður). A bit of a double dip, neither association was too happy about.

Svanur Sigurbjörnsson a celebrant from Siðmennt, which offers wedding ceremonies with no religious content. But they do include an ethical message.

Again, the church didn’t quite see it that way. This time round it only took three years to change the law and the church’s monopoly on religious weddings disintegrated, becoming a thing of a past best forgotten. Today both association have the lawful right to wed couples, as said before and Svanur, from Siðmennt, believes the recent increase in demand for wedding ceremonies is only an indication of what is to come. “Since the younger generation is gradually turning away from religion,” he says, “I think our growth will continue, for many years to come.”

But how exactly do you go about it if you want to get married in Iceland? It’s fairly easy according to Svanur and Hilmar. They both point to websites of their associations, www. sidmennt.is and www.asatru.is, where all the necessary information is available, and also to LGBT travel agency Pink Iceland, which has been hugely successful in organizing wedding oriented holidays/trips in Iceland.

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Tryggvi Gunnarsson is a theatre writer/director based in Reykjavík. He has accumulated many rewards during his career, most of which were accidental and have nothing to do with theatre, whatsoever. He usually doesn't know what he is doing, which makes him an ideal journalist, forever asking all the hard questions, as well as being a very unpredictable and original artist. He is also ridiculously handsome.
This paragraph was not written by Tryggvi...but someone else...really.

You will probably bathe in the Blue Lagoon and take a road trip to Gullfoss and
Geysir. That’s all well and good. But neither Geysir’s nor waterfalls are
something you eat. That’s why we have 15 brilliant and creative hamburgers at
The Hamburger Factory. And they are all perfectly square. Don’t miss out on
Iceland’s most beloved hamburgers.

The Hamburger Factory is Iceland’s most innovative gourmet burger chain.
Packed with burger-craving customers since it’s opening in 2010, among the
regulars is Iceland’s best known fisherman, Eric Clapton. In our restaurants we
welcome tourists with our newspaper like menu and smiley service. They are
packed with fun items and memorable connections to Icelandic pop culture.

Locations:

Omnom Chocolate

- award-winning chocolate maker

Omnom Chocolate is an Icelandic craft chocolate company based in Reykjavík. We produce handcrafted chocolate from organic cacao beans sourced ethically and sustainably. We’ve developed direct relationships to create premium chocolate with fine flavor cacao beans.

Omnom’s process is one of constant exploration, invention, and experimentation. If it doesn’t please us, if something isn’t absolutely delicious, there’s no reason to be doing it. So, we always start with our taste buds and follow our instincts. Our team searches for the finest ingredients in the world and new ways to improve chocolate. This obsession with knowing where our ingredients come from has led us around the corner to dairy farms in the Icelandic countryside and all the way to rainforest cacao farms of Nicaragua.

In only a few short years, we’ve grown from our 50 sq. m. petrol station space and become an award-winning chocolate maker. Now, with our headquarters in 101 Reykjavík, our chocolate is sent out around Iceland and all over the world.

At the end of the day, our goal is to make chocolate.

Alfred’s Apartments

- gay owned an operated

Alfred’s Apartments and Alfred’s Studios is a gay operated and owned accommodation in the heart of Reykjavik.

Alfred’s Apartments offers spacious apartments at a good price located just around the corner from Laugavegur shopping street. You can choose the apartment starting from a Small Studio for 2 persons to a large One-bedroom Apartment with balcony for 5 persons.

Their staff will ensure your comfort during the stay and provide the most updated information about the city, gay and night life in Reykjavik.

Each apartment has a private bathroom with a shower, fully equipped kitchen and free Wi-Fi. Guests can buy groceries at the local grocery store 50 meters from the apartments. Because of their very central location, numerous shops, restaurants and cafés are available in the surrounding area. The Church of Hallgrimur is located 350 m from the apartments, a tourist agency is just 50 m away and the nearest gay bar is less than 5 minutes walking distance.

Laekur hostel
In the hostel we have dorms for 4-8 persons with shared kitchen and bathroom facilities. The rooms are furnished with free internet, lockers, and a USB charger by each bed. The beds have linen provided and you can rent a towel in the cafe on the ground floor for 5 EUR.

All the dorms are mixed with both genders. You can also book a whole room with 4-8 bunker beds.

Blue Lagoon

- a world of wonder

Named by National Geographic as one of the 25 Wonders of the World, the Blue Lagoon is a shimmering expanse of warmth, relaxation, and rejuvenation. Its unique geothermal seawater comes from 2000 meters within the earth where sea and fresh water converge in a tectonic frontier of porous lava and searing heat. Propelled by extreme pressure, the water ascends to the earth’s surface, emerging enriched with silica, algae, and minerals: the elements that endow Blue Lagoon geothermal seawater with its radiant, healing properties.

From its humble beginnings in the shadows of a geothermal power plant, Blue Lagoon has evolved into a world of wonder, now encompassing a hotel, a restaurant, a luxury lounge, a renowned line of skin care, a research center, in-water massage, and a wealth of spa and refreshment facilities.

Achieving harmony with the volcanic landscape of Iceland’s Reykjanes lava plain, the lagoon and its surrounding architecture embody the unification of the man-made and the natural, and adhere to the highest principles of sustainability.

Blue Lagoon. A wonder of the world. A world of wonder.

Whales of Iceland

- larger than life

Whales of Iceland is the largest whale exhibition in Europe (and perhaps even the world), where guests can learn about the giants of the sea in a calm and modern environment. The permanent exhibition features whales like guests have never seen them before. It is truly a giant experience.

Landsbankinn

- leading financial institution

Landsbankinn is a leading Icelandic financial institution. It offers a full range of financial services and is the market leader in the Icelandic financial service sector with the largest branch network.

The present bank was established on 7 October 2008 but the history of its predecessor dates back to 1886. The bank is owned by the National Treasury of Iceland, which holds 98.2% of its share capital, and other shareholders who own 1.8%.

Landsbankinn’s strategy is to provide comprehensive financial services that meet customer’s needs. It emphasizes providing exemplary service to customers, developing e-banking for their convenience, increasing the efficiency of support functions, modernizing its technology and ensuring effective utilization of its balance sheet.

The bank’s vision is to be exemplary and its role is to be a trusted financial partner.

Special emphasis is placed on promoting a performance-oriented culture in the bank. To follow up on the implementation of this strategy, the bank has defined key goals which are measured regularly to determine progress. These goals include, for example, customer satisfaction and loyalty, profitability, cost efficiency and the correlation between risk appetite and employee satisfaction.

Landsbankinn wishes to lead the development of a sustainable society in Iceland by integrating economic, social and environmental concerns in its operations. The Bank aims to ensure that both its owners and society at large benefit from its activities.

It intends to achieve this aim by building solid infrastructure and a strong team of 1.100 employees, by listening to its customers and by respecting and encouraging its employees to actively participate in their community. Landsbankinn was a founding member of Festa, a Centre for Corporate Social Responsibility, and is a member of the UN Global Compact.

Landsbankinn has been a proud sponsor of the Reykjavik Pride since it was first celebrated in Iceland.

Dohop

- get inspired

“Dohop allows people to find the cheapest flights available with just one click. Founded in Reykjavik in 2004, it is the only Icelandic company of its kind and quickly became the go-to tool for finding cheap flights among the locals. Dohop finds the best deals among hundreds of different airlines and online travel agencies, to make sure that the user is getting the cheapest price. Dohop also offers hotel and car rental search engines, so users can make all of their travel bookings from a single website.

Dohop‘s specialty is finding so-called “self-connect” flight options, which can save travelers money by booking a ticket through two or more different airlines. The ability to look for these self-connect option is what sets Dohop apart from its competition, as it can save people hundreds of dollars on certain routes.

More recently, Dohop has developed a unique product called Dohop Go!, which allows users to check for the cheapest available flights from their home airport. This tool is perfect for those who are looking for travel inspiration but are not willing to overpay for their flight ticket. Dohop Go! is now available in the Dohop Flights App, both for Android and iOS, along with its traditional flight, hotel, and car search engines. “

Macland

- for all your Apple needs

From starting out as a proper startup with only a good idea and the need to change things, to becoming an established company with 6 employees. Starting from scratch and expanding organically has allowed us to love our expansion and take our customers on the ride with us.

Macland is located at Laugavegur 23 (101, Downtown Reykjavik)
For all your Apple needs. We are here.

Aurora Reykjavik

- northern lights center

Aurora Reykjavik is a Northern Lights Center situated in downtown Reykjavík at the Old Harbor next to Icelandair Hotel Marina and Vikin Maritime Museum.

Aurora Reykjavík is Iceland’s first educational and recreational Northern Lights Center where multimedia is used to explain when, why and how the Northern Lights work, with the highlights being large HD projection of the Aurora’s. We also share myths and legends about what our ancestor thought about those mystical lights.

The Northern Lights Center is for all ages. Children are our favorite guests and we created the exhibition in a way that children can have a look freely and parents don’t have to worry about things being broken.

Aurora Reykjavik offers a great selection of souvenirs that are designed and made by Icelanders along with nice little coffee corner, where you can enjoy free coffee and tea while browsing through the souvenirs or just planning your next step.

Contact Aurora

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Ísey skyr

- once tasted never forgotten

Our Story
Once upon a time, 1,100 years ago in fact, Nordic settlers began arriving in Iceland. They brought with them the skills and knowledge for producing skyr. As time passed, the know-how and recipe for this nutritious food slowly faded out elsewhere in the Nordic region. Luckily, the Icelandic skyr-making tradition continued.

For centuries, Icelandic skyr formed a cornerstone of the national diet, helping to keep people strong in living conditions that were often harsh. On family farms countrywide, it was the women who nurtured this dairy and passing on both the recipe and the original Icelandic skyr cultures from mother to daughter.

Ísey skyr builds on this remarkable legacy. It was some of those very same women, the recipients of their mothers’ expertise, who, around 90 years ago, taught Icelandic dairy scientists the art of skyr-making. The production process is more high-tech these days, and the quality standards more rigorous. However, the basic recipe and the use of original cultures to ferment the skimmed milk remain the same. Protein rich, fat-free, creamy and delicious – Ísey skyr is as relevant to consumers now as it was all those centuries ago.
This is our secret and you are in on it

All of our courses are individually made from fresh ingredients and therefore highly customisable.
We offer fully Vegan versions of all courses.
Though originally a take-away we now seat over 30 people.

Núðluskálin is located right in the heart of Reykjavík on Skólavörðustígur 8 (street leading up to the big Church) near the junction with Laugavegur (main street).

Seatours

- adventure cruise

Ferry Baldur – the gate to the West fjords
and VikingSushi Adventure – Bird & Nature watching Tour for everyone all year around

The “VikingSushi Adventure” is the right boat tour for travelers who are adventurous and want to experience something new – close up to the nature seafood simply doesn’t come fresher than this! The archipelago area of the Breidafjordur Bay always surprises her visitors during winter or summer with spectacular sights. Where else you get to try delicious fresh scallops and sea urchin roe straight from the ocean served with soy sauce, wasabi and ginger.

This old volcanic area, characterized by the typical basalt formations of the islands, is the home of countless birds. Here you will also find the strongest currents in Iceland. The VikingSushi Tour takes roughly two hours and our captain is also the tour guide.

The VikingSushi Tour is a true adventure through incredible nature which should not be missed by any traveler to West Iceland.

Birds, possible to spot:
-puffins (from the middle of April until the middle of August)
-eider ducks
-shags
-kittiwakes
-fulmars
-white-tailed eagle

The car ferry Baldur is the bridge to the West fjords via the island Flatey
Ferry Baldur crosses Breidafjordur Bay daily from Stykkisholmur on the Snæfellsnes peninsula to Brjanslaekur in the north. A ferry ride considerably shortens the route between the south and mid-west of the country and the West Fjords region. It also gives you the opportunity to experience a floating restaurant.

Take a stopover at the charming island Flatey when you are crossing the bay or go to a day tour to Flatey and back to Stykkishólmur. At Flatey are no cars allowed and between the houses of the 18th century you get the feeling of a journey back in time.